Through Snowfall,far beyond

From where she stood at the window, Susan could see how the flakes of Snow slowly but gradually fell and covered the superb landscape of the Adventure Farm, with it’s gentle hills and wide sweeps of green . For the past two years Susan haven’t had the time to visit her grandparents. The pain of losing Howard became so unbearable and she thought one visit to the Adventure Farm would help clear her mind and find closure. Now, deep in thoughts, she stared through the window expecting to frame Howard’s features. But they didn’t materialize. Try as she might she was unable to picture the man who once had filled her every waking life. The only thing she could see was the breathless Earth with it’s vast clear landscape. The ancient Karoo rocks and sun-browned Flora stretched away to distant mountains. As the snow flakes continued to grace the Earth with it’s pure white blanket, her thoughts drifted far beyond the mountains and hills. All of a sudden she didn’t think, didn’t hope. Her cloudy mind just got caught by the wonderfully spread ice on each and every part of the landscape. Once, her granddad, came and knocked on the room’s locked door, raddled the handle and his voice enquired if she was okay. When he received no reply he went away. She was so calm. Even the creaking, groaning and spitting of the Wind pump failed to bring her back to her senses.

Susan and Howard met at the shopping Mall two years ago. When she was to exit one of the clothing stores at the Shopping Mall, she tripped and when hopelessly was about to hit the ground, a tall slim but muscular man grabbed her waist from behind. His hair was black, a colour seemingly, reflected in his deep eyes beneath which his features and wide mouth were sharply refined. Handsome. Susan, thought, but vaguely foreign-looking, though his impression was belied by his voice; the perfect modulated Harvard accent was as assured as his smile. Coming abruptly back to her senses, Susan realised that his arm still held her waist. As her eyes met his, she felt an acute embarrassed, mingled with a sensation she hadn’t experienced since she was seventeen. The tempo of her heart had increased and she was sure her face had turned bright pink. She felt that his gaze reached into her soul.

“We could talk more comfortably if you stood up, the stranger said as he held Susan up.”

Regaining her composure, thank you Sir, Susan blurted out.”

Releasing Susan from his hold, I’m Howard.”

“ I’m Susan, thanks again for helping.” Susan quickly tried to pick her shopping bags.

'”You can’t rush away. Not after the trouble I went through to get you up. Please let me help you out with your bags. "He took some of the shopping bags from Susan and walked her to the car. Howard helped her put the bags in the car, opened the door and remained holding it even when Susan was in.

“ Susan, I think you are a very attractive girl, and I’d consider it an honour if you’d have dinner with me.”

Susan hesitated. “Let me think about it.”

"What’s there to think about?. It’s either a yes or a no.”

No matter how charming, how genuine Howard seemed, what could he possibly want with her except a swift sexual adventure, Susan thought. Waiting patiently for her answer, Howard still held the door and was not ready to shut it until he got a positive reply. 

“ I guess it won’t hurt to have dinner with you, Susan gave in.” 

“ Six o'clock in the evening, Manhattan Hotel? Or any place of your choice will be fine with me.”

“ The Manhattan it is, see you then.”

Driving back home, thoughts were battling around in Susan’s head like deranged butterflies. All her thoughts were clogged by her encounter with Howard, how she felt the connection between them and their meeting tomorrow. The next day the dinner went well and from that day onwards they became inseparable. Within three months into their relationship, Howard proposed. Before the end of that year they were married . Their love became stronger by the day. They had wonderful plans together and their future seemed bright, but life is no respecter of whatever plans we might have. It makes it’s own decisions and has it’s own plans. One morning, just like that, in the blink of an eye, Howard was removed from the face of the Earth by a fatal automobile accident. Susan’s plans were shattered . For the past weeks she struggled to forget. Now at this moment at the Adventure, for a moment she had no idea what she was thinking about. She caught her breath and then, understanding dawned. Her mouth had gone dry and her pulse suddenly accelerated. She knew now what she ought to do. She let it out.

“ I have to release my hold on you my dear Howard, she affirmed loudly. I need to let go, tears rolled down her cheeks as she confirmed to herself.” Some form of relieve came rushing in. She felt at peace. The sadness and grief of the past weeks was healed.

The snow glittered in the window. It emptied out of the sky the colour and texture of old sags, burying the farm land, and filling doorways. Susan thought heaven had arrived right here on Earth. Muffled in a scarve, a hat and mitten, umpteen layers of clothes, she hesitantly stepped on to the frozen surface out in wonderland. She began rolling in it, pilling it, throwing it and erecting it. She recalled those happy childhood vacations she had, right here at the Adventure farm. None of the previous vacations felt so peaceful, so pure and most of all, so new. It was as if the Snowfall was deliberately meant for her to start a new page in her life. Susan enjoyed every moment. The landscape gave her the feeling of newness and freshness and hope. All was buried, but not forgotten.